Behavioral & Mental Health

From a very young age, I wanted to become a pediatrician. As a child, I received a doctor’s kit (many of you remember the blue plastic box, the red little candy pills, the plastic shot and hammer and, of course, a red stethoscope) almost yearly.

As a teenager, growing up in Westchester County, volunteering at Lawrence Hospital on the children’s unit, reaffirmed my career path. After attending Manhattan College, Universidad del Noreste in Mexico and the New York Medical College, my pediatric training took place at North Shore University Hospital – Cornell. General pediatrics was always my interest, especially the emotional and psycho-social well being of, not only children but also their families. Joining Pediatric Associates of Norwalk and Darien in 1991 was an easy decision as this philosophy was second nature.

Over the years we have included these supportive services to help families and enhance the well being of parents and children. The community is extremely important to me and, therefore, I have participated in many community boards, organizations and advocacy roles. Many of you may know the American Academy of Pediatrics. This organization is not only advocacy for children and their families but also for pediatricians. I was President and Vice President for the Connecticut chapter for 8 years and continue to be involved. I have participated in many hospital activities at Norwalk Hospital being on the Medical Executive Committee, the Credentials Committee and Pediatric Executive Committee.  Currently, I am on the AAP s Section on Practice and Management. This section is responsible for finding innovative ways to provide quality, consistency and comprehensive success in Pediatric Practice.  I also sit on several Pharmaceutical Committees.

I am wonderfully supported by my family. My husband Michael Holloway is in Construction Management and Development in New York City.  My son Alec and my two stepchildren, Jane and Sam. Our nanny, Letitzia, has been with us for over 15 years.

M.D. – NY Medical College at Valhalla, N.Y.

B.S. – Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY

Internship and Residency in Pediatrics – North Shore University Hospital

Cornell Medical Center, Manhasset, NY

Board Certified – American Board of Pediatrics

Associate Professor – NY Medical College at Westchester Medical Center

Vice President Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics 1995-1997

President Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics 1997-2003

Vitam Youth Center Executive Committee 1991-1998

Questions Review Committee

American Board of Pediatrics 1996-1999

Advisory Board – Ridgefield Bank, 2003 – present

Medical Executive Committee – Norwalk Hospital 2003 – present

Associate Professor – Quinnipiac Medical School

Medical Director – Medical Assistant Advisory Committee – Norwalk community college

Medical Advisor – Norwalk Community College Medical Assistant program – 2002 to present

Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics

Hospital Privileges at Norwalk & Stamford Hospitals

Pediatric Associates of Norwalk & Darien since 1990

I have been a lifelong resident of Connecticut and have been with The Center for Advanced Pediatrics (then PANDA) since November 1995. I attended the University of Connecticut at Storrs and I received by BS degree in Pharmacy in 1986. I received my MD degree from the University of Connecticut Medical Center in Farmington. I completed my pediatric residency training at New York Medical College/Westchester County Medical Center and I also served as Pediatric Chief Resident. When I began my career at Advanced Pediatrics, I was working part time while I completed my fellowship training in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Yale. I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and am Board Certified in General Pediatrics and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

I reside in Wilton with my wife and three boys. If you don’t see me at the office it’s likely that you’ll find me at one of the local hockey rinks, either playing or watching my boys play. I am currently the Medical Director of the Robert B. Appleby School Based Health Clinics at the three high schools in Norwalk. My wife, Janet, and I teach classes in Disability Awareness, Safety and Anatomy and First Aid at some of the local elementary schools each spring.

M.D. degree – University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT

B.S. Degree in Pharmacy – University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Internship and Residency in Pediatrics at N.Y. Medical College – Westchester Medical Center

Chief Pediatric Resident – NY Medical College 1994 – 1995

Board Certified – American Board of Pediatrics Secondary Specialty – Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Associate Professor New York Medical College – Westchester Medical Center

Clinical Instructor Yale University School of Medicine

Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics

Hospital Privileges at Norwalk & Stamford Hospitals

Pediatric Associates of Norwalk & Darien since 1996

I always knew that I wanted to help children have a voice. I started out believing I wanted to be a teacher but gradually realized it was the students who didn’t have all the answers that I was most interested in helping. Once my interest in Psychology began, it never stopped.

My first job in the profession was as a mental health worker at Yale-New Haven Hospital. I was impressed with the nursing staff above all. They worked with the patients throughout the day, counseled them, created plans of care and ran the unit. I became inspired to become an advanced practice psychiatric nurse as a result.

I received my undergrad at University of Connecticut in Psychology, and my Master’s degree at Yale University School of Nursing where I became a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Once armed with my degree I moved out west to San Francisco where I worked as a nurse in many settings including in-patient hospital adolescent and adult units, psychiatric emergency rooms and a residential setting for children. Once I returned to CT I spent many years at Yale New-Haven Hospital this time as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in the Pediatric Emergency room evaluating all children with psychiatric emergencies. From there I went to Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance where I did both individual therapy and medication evaluations and treatment for both the general clinic and emergency population, in addition to teaching Yale School of Nursing graduate students.

I began at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics (TCFAP) in March of 2005 following Dr. Marconi’s vision to integrate mental health into primary care. It has been a successful endeavor that continues to grow. I currently divide my time between TCFAP and a private practice. I am always looking for ways to enhance my skills, where recently I attended a 3 day workshop at The Beck Institute of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) where I focused on the therapy for children. I treat most mental health issues, and use a mix of CBT, behavioral therapy and collaborative problem solving and talk therapy.

I enjoy skiing in VT, vacationing in Newport, and walking my pup (with separation anxiety oddly enough!)

Yale School of Nursing-Masters in Nursing Science-Clinical Nurse Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Nursing.

University of Connecticut-Bachelors in Psychology

Adjunct Faculty-Yale School of Nursing

Member of International Society of Psychiatric Nursing

Adults often ask children “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Some children answer a rock star, a fireman, a doctor and I would always say a “nurse.” Nursing has been my passion for as long as I can remember and my profession for the past 23 years. I attended Northeastern University where I received my Bachelors Degree in nursing science. I worked as a registered nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering for many years before moving to Connecticut to raise a family. Nursing has allowed me to work in many different settings including the local school systems, home care and dialysis. Once my children were older I decided to return to school for my masters. I attended Fairfield University where I obtained my Masters in Nursing Science and became certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. As a nurse practitioner, I have spent time caring for the homeless population in Bridgeport at Southwest Community Health Center and seeing adolescents at the Robert E. Appleby School Based Health Center in Norwalk before coming to The Center for Advanced Pediatrics in 2007 where I enjoy especially evaluating children and adolescents for asthma and allergy.

I believe part of nursing is about giving back to the community; this is why I volunteer at AmeriCare Clinic in South Norwalk in their women’s health clinic and volunteer with many local charities. I enjoy playing tennis, skiing and summering on the Cape.

Columbia University-Doctorate of Nursing Practice

Fairfield University-Masters in Nursing Science-Family Nurse Practitioner-2005

Northeastern University-Bachelors in Nursing-1987

Adjunct Professor Fairfield University

Courtesy Faculty Yale University and Sacred Heart University

Member of American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society

I grew up in CT where my interest in human behavior and helping others began during high school. I obtained my B.A., with a double major in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Wheaton College (MA). As an undergraduate, I interned for a non-profit company serving psychiatric youth in Taunton, MA, within a group home/residential setting. Working with this population within their natural setting piqued my interest in finding other ways to help youth, focus on incremental progress, learn behavior modification techniques, and better understand environmental and systemic change. After graduation, I was hired by STAR, Inc. (Norwalk) where I managed a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities affiliated with the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for six years.

Management and quality assurance taught me invaluable lessons about human behavior and communication. As such, I knew I wanted to continue my studies in order to work clinically with individuals and families. This lead me to Fairfield University to obtain my M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy and over the past 5 years, I have worked with children, adolescents, and their families. I strongly believe in systemic thinking and intervention with families to facilitate growth and change. My formal training is in Structural and Strategic therapies.

Once I completed my graduate internships at Stratford Community Services and the Koslow Center in Fairfield, I accepted a position as an outpatient therapist for Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center. This experience emphasized for me again the need for collaboration with schools, community outreach, as well as the need to continually gain new skills and training to address the needs of the community. As a result, I am now trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to work with adolescents and their families to address trauma, emotion dysregulation, and increased skills acquisition.

To expand my skills outside of non-profits, I joined Effective School Solutions as a School Therapist, which allowed me the time to join the primary care setting at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics. I am grateful and excited to be part of such a welcoming, collaborative, and comprehensive team of professionals!

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, my approach is nurturing, yet directive, and I see families/individuals as humans desiring connection, love, and resolution. I believe any individual or family issue is an opportunity for growth and change, when combined with motivation and a willingness to try. I incorporate and encourage the use of mindfulness practice into my sessions in order to help clients remain present and build distress tolerance and emotion regulation into their day-to- day. I am a Clinical Fellow with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) as well as an active member with the Connecticut Association of MFT. When not practicing, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to the beach, staying active, reading and traveling when possible!

I am a licensed clinical social worker and have practiced in a variety of settings in both New York City and Connecticut. I did not start out in social work though and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre from the Boston Conservatory and had initially set out to be a singer and actress. After auditioning and performing for a few years I decided to go to graduate school to become a social worker.

I attended Hunter College School of Social Work in New York City and upon graduation began working at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village. There I worked in both inpatient and outpatient Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health. During my time at St Vincent’s I got married and had my first child. Outgrowing our New York City Apartment we decided to make the move to the suburbs and settled in Connecticut. There I set up a private practice and worked at the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut as a therapist. Most recently I have been working with, Effective School Solutions, running a program within Warde High School in Fairfield servicing adolescents struggling with a variety of mental health issues. I use an eclectic approach in my therapy with individuals drawing from psychodynamic psychotherapy, attachment therapy and also use cognitive behavioral therapy skills when helpful.

I am a mother to two little boys and in my free time love to sing, hear live music, ski, go for runs and spend time with friends and family.

I am excited to join the team at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics and look forward to using my years of experience working with children, teens and families to help people to become their best and happiest selves!